The topic of Book Two is learning how to handle those signs that are unknown or not familiar—Augustine recommends theological virtue and great learning as methods of handling these problems. But now Augustine must tackle the problem of those signs that are ambiguous. The meaning of phrases and sentences can often be completely changed simply with misplaced punctuation. And this is a problem even for the most literal passages. Figurative passages are even more difficult to interpret.

Further, Christians must be careful not to confuse sign and thing as many pagans do. Two general confusions derive from this - treating signs as things and things as signs. One can take figuratively passages meant literally, and this will often lead interpreters in different ages to read Scriptural passages according to their own cultural, historical and particular biases. The ethical principle of the...